The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-11-10
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

"A Birmingham gun firm, in order
to obviate the difficulty in sighting
guns in the dark, have introduced
small diamonds in both sights.
DIR. G. t. jackson, in a paper on
badness, read before the New York
County Medical Society. states that one
of the causes is the effect of working
under hot artificial light, such as gas
or kerosene.
A new carbon mineral, apparently
consisting of pure carbon like the dia-
mond, but black, has been discovered
in meteoric iron from Western Aus
tralia. 1t resembles the diamond in
the form of its crystals. but is more like
graphite in other respects. 1t is to be
called Cliftonite. 2. Ledger.
AT least 10, 900 preserved humming-
birds are now embraced in the collec-
ton in the British Museum. The finest
collection on this side of the Atlantic,
containing about 1000 specimens, has
been presented by Mr.. d. G. Elliott to
the American Museum of Natural His
tory in New York.-Boston Budget.
"A solution of bromine has proved
Unexpectedly useful as deodorizing
agent in street excavations, from which
noxious smell emanates. Whether it
is true disinfectant, or merely a
means of suppressing unpleasant odors,
is question as to which sanitary
authorities differ.
Steel wire mats are Q new article
in metallurgical industry. They are
made from steel wire, with steel frame
and steel braces, all perfectly galvan-
lied, and are wear and weather proof,
are self cleaning. require no shaking.
and by the slightest scrape snow, ice.
mud, clay and water are wiped out OF
sight. t.-Boston Budget.
One OF the greatest sights on
Chesapeake bay is the watermelon feet,
which comprises about eighty vessels.
The season opens about the first week
in August, and for nearly two months
the bay is filled with these boats loaded
down with melons. They carry from
two to eight thousand melons each, and
give employment to several hundred
men.
According to the Bolettn Consercial
of Havana, there will be 125 sugar
plantations which, either from having
been abandoned or for other reasons,
will not grind this season. Calculating
an average of 1,50O hogsheads of sugar
to each plantation, this represents 170,-
600 tons less in the total production of
Cuban sugar this year.
Out of 260, 900 tons of steel and
iron manufactured annually at the
Krupp works the greater portion is re-
quired for peaceful purposes; especially
for railway plant and material. From
report published in 1881 it appears
that the number of workmen employed
in the cast-steel works amounts to H.
211, and those employed in mines and
and forges to 1894, being a total of
19,605. To these we may reckon the
families of the employees, numbering
45,776, thus showing that 65.381 per-
sons were at that time dependent on
the Krupp establishment for liveli-
hood.
An Irishman, Mr.. Francis Hazlett,
has invented, and an Irish company
have bought out. q mechanical appar-
atus for blowing glass bottles which
dispenses with the old-fashioned meth
cd of blowing glass by the mouth. The
new invention dispenses entirely with
the human lungs. and injects the air
into molten glass by an air-pump not
unlike an ordinary syringe in shape
and action. This is fastened to the or
dinary blow-pipe and makes little diff
ference to the workman in handling
Public Opinion.